Tag: Oyster Sauce

Soy Sauce Fried Noodles (Just Noodlin’ Around, 豉油王炒麵)

Soy Sauce Fried Noodles (Just Noodlin’ Around, 豉油王炒麵)

One of my favorite dishes, when we are out for dim sum, is Hong Kong Style Chow Mein or Soy Sauce Fried Noodles (豉油王炒麵).  This is Cantonese soul food.  Thin egg noodles fried with onions, scallions, and bean sprouts.  It is deceptively simple.  How does a dish with so few ingredients, taste so good?  It’s the balance, skinny noodles dry-fried to retain their chew and texture; stir-fried onions for sweetness and texture, scallions for flavor and color, and last but not least, bean sprouts for textural crunch.  There aren’t any big pieces of meat or greens that disrupt the balance of the dish.  Everything is julienned or in slivers to compliment the noodles.

Like Yin and Yang, balanced and harmonious.  It flies under the radar due to its simplicity and is the perfect side dish.  These noodles are your bestie, your essential wingman, Goose to Maverick.

The seasonings are few, soy sauce, oyster sauce, a bit of sugar for balance, and that’s pretty much it.  This means, start with great sauces, ones you like.  My favorites?  LKK oyster sauce, it is my go-to brand (Woman and Little Boy in a Boat).  It’s the only oyster sauce I have in my pantry.
Soy Sauces are a different matter, there are so many.  Different in style, use, and taste.  Literally, I have over 12 different soy sauces, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and even Hawaiian.

SOY, Let’s Break It Down

In Cantonese cuisine, the dark soy sauce is actually not as salty as light soy sauce.  Sugar or molasses is added to the base sauce for flavor, color and to balance the saltiness.  It is used during marinating or cooking.  Light Soy Sauce, is the first press of soybeans and is salty.  It is the go-to sauce, to marinade, cook, and to use on the table, like salt.  The soy sauce found on the table in Chinese restaurants is light soy sauce or often Kikkoman, which falls between light and dark soy sauce.  A good all-purpose soy sauce.   Koon Chun, a Hong Kong legacy company makes wonderful Light and Dark Soy Sauces (My Dad’s favorite)

For these noodles, it’s imperative you use soy sauces you like since it is a predominant flavor ingredient.  This dish requires 2 different soy sauces, light soy (shēng chōu, 生抽) and dark soy (Lǎo chōu, 老抽).  The literal translation is “new sauce” for light soy and “old sauce” for dark soy. The dark and light soy is most prevalent in Canton, southeast China (ME!).

My favorites for this dish are Pearl River Bridge Light Soy Sauce and LKK Dark Soy Sauce.  A great alternative is Korean Soy Sauce. I would use Sempio 701 which has a briny, rich, savory taste with a hint of sweetness.  The Soup Soy seen in the picture (end left)  is light soy and used mainly when making soup. It provides salt and umami without coloring your stocks. I use Aloha Soy Sauce for my marinades for bbq and any Hawaiian recipe (I have lots, love Hawaiian food-onolicious)

The NOODS

The other half of the equation is the noodles in this dish, so pick the right one!

  • Choose noodles that are THIN, ie. Cantonese style or Hong Kong-style noodles.  Preferably egg noodles.  Fresh or dry (I like fresh), I repeat THIN noodles.  Look for Fresh Steamed, or fresh Hong Kong or Cantonese-style noodles.
  • Don’t follow the cooking directions!  You want to undercook these noodles so they don’t break or get mushy when frying.
  • To ensure you don’t overcook the noodles.  Separate the noodles and place them in a colander over the sink.  Pour boiling water over the noodles and let them drain and dry.  Voila noodles ready for pan-frying.  Alternatively, put the noodles in boiling water for no more than 30 seconds after it comes to a boil.  Remove and drain well.

Better to undercook your noodles!!!  Made with Lau has a great video for making Hong Kong Style Noodles.  This recipe is essentially his with a couple of tweaks and notes.  Great site for down home Cantonese food from a pro!

Once the wok is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil to pan,  add noodles.  On high heat, keep moving the noodles around to dry and crisp the noodles.  Stir fry for 2 0r 3 minutes.   Then flip the noodles over  (big flip), drizzle another tablespoon of oil down the side of the wok or pan.  Continue to fry and move the noodles around. The goal is a mix of both crisp and soft noodles. Add sprouts and onions to the wok and fry until heated through and a bit wilted.  You want the sprouts to retain their crunch.  Alternatively, you could quick-fry the green onions and sprouts separately and add them to the noodles with the yellow onions and scallion roots.  If you really like the vegetables to stay crisp, fry the noodles and add sauce mixture before adding the vegetables.

These are my favorite, a classic, Soy Sauce Fried Noodles!

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5 from 2 votes

Soy Sauce Fried Noodles Hong Kong Style Chow Mein

Classic noodle dish found in Dim Sum restaurants and Chinese delis. Simplicity perfected
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Hong Kong style Noodles, Stir-fried Noodles
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Hong Kong style pan fried noodles unsteamed or steamed I’m lazy I get steamed
  • 1/2 yellow onion cut into thin slices, lengthwise
  • 5 stalks green onion (or Chinese Chives) Cut into 1.5 inch pieces and then julienned.
  • 6-8 oz bean sprouts Washed and drained
  • 3 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil of choice

Sauce

  • 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 0.5 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil to taste

Instructions

Prep Noodles

  • Steam noodles, drain, cool. Please DON’T over cook your noodles!!! This is the takeaway.
  • For fresh, steamed noodles, bring pot of water to a boil. Drop in noodles (separated), bring the water back to a boil and take them out-pronto! Leave them in colander to drain and dry out a little.
  • If you're using dried noodles, cook according to the package's instructions, erring on the more al-dente side, and rinse with cold water afterwards to stop the cooking. Drain well.

Veggies

  • Cut green onions into about 1.5 inch pieces. Separate the light and the green sections. The light part will be cooked first with the yellow onion.
  • Cut yellow onion in half, and julienne half (thinly slice lengthwise)
  • Rinse and drain bean sprouts

Sauce

  • Combine soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, and water in a bowl, stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Frying Time

  • On high, heat wok, to around 350-400°F, basically smokin hot.
  • When the wok is hot, add oil (1 tbsp) and heat to 350-400°F. The oil should be "shimmering" - rippling, but not smoking. If it's smoking, the wok is too hot. Little wisps of smoke is okay.
  • Saute’ green onion whites and onions for about 1 minute and reserve.
  • Heat the wok again and add 1 T oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the noodles.
  • Move the noodles around the pan gently. DO NOT flip them yet, move the noodles around so parts get crispy. Cook for about 3 minutes moving the noodles carefully.
  • Turn the top noodles over so the noodles are on the bottom, add 1 T oil along the perimeter of the pan to help develop a nice crisp. Let the noodles cook on this side for another 3 minutes, occasionally prodding and moving the noodles.
  • The noodles will not stick to the pan if they are not overcooked. Lifting the noodles as you fry helps release moisture.
  • Add bean sprouts and stir fry for 30-45 seconds. Use tongs or cooking chopsticks to help you move the noodles around. Place the noodles over the sprouts to help cook them. Better to undercook sprouts, you want to retain their crunch!
  • Add sautéed onion-green onion mixture and mix to incorporate and heat onions. No more than a minute.
  • Add sauce by pouring it in a steady stream all over the noodles and vegetables. Keep moving and lifting the noodles to coat with sauce and release any extra moisture.
  • Add sesame oil and continue to mix and separate the noodles for another 1-2 minutes. If the noodles seem to be getting a bit soft, take them off the heat. The oil does not need to cook.
  • Taste the noodles, season with salt and dark soy if the noodles are not dark enough. Add white pepper if you like.
  • Garnish julienned green onion shreds. Serve immediately.
Ginger & Scallion Noodles Parts Unknown & Sauces Unknown

Ginger & Scallion Noodles Parts Unknown & Sauces Unknown

I am hooked on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.

I just started watching it on Netflix.  It’s not just about food, everything is fair game; history, lifestyle (check out the Tokyo episode), politics, culture. If you have a chance watch the episode on Shanghai.  Shanghai has become the city of the future, a financial hub, and global powerhouse, it is the juggernaut that defines China today.  While in college, I was lucky enough to visit Shanghai.  We spent a couple of days in this fabled port city. Though ravaged by years of occupation and then isolation, even then it felt like Shanghai was ready to embrace the outside world and the future. I watched Mr. Bourdain’s episode and realized it had all come to pass.

Shanghai Then

We strolled down to the Yangtze River and by the time we arrived at the riverfront we had attracted a crowd of people easily 10 deep.  The crowd was eager to practice speaking English with us.  Others gawked at the strange way we were dressed. Bicycles not cars flooded the streets and everyone wore brown or blue pants and white shirts (vestiges of life under Mao).  Stores and restaurants were run by the government, only tourist were allowed.  If I invited anyone for dinner they still turned in their ration coupons even though I had paid for the meal.

Not a MickeyD’s, Starbucks, or Pizza Hut in Sight

Back then, it was hard to imagine that China would become the political & economic heavyweight it is today.  The Shanghai featured in Parts Unknown was unrecognizable.  Where once stood old provincial buildings built by countries that had occupied China, there are now modern high-rises.  Cars have replaced bicycles and proletariat clothes have given way to the latest fashion trends. Gone are the state-run stores, replaced by Prada, Fendi, and Starbucks.

Fine wines and haute cuisine are part of the China of today but thankfully street markets and sidewalk stalls selling down-home food like dumplings and noodles still exist.  Stir-fried Noodles with Ginger and Scallions are a mainstay of not only Chinese street food but a dish made at home.

I learned how to make this from my father.  Julienned ginger,  scallions, and minced garlic are sizzled in hot oil to impart their flavors.  Make the sauce next – combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, sesame oil, and reserve.  Stir-fry the noodles in the infused oil and add the sauce.  Give it a couple of stirs and just like that, a tasty meal in minutes.  Most of the ingredients are pantry staples.  Find fresh noodles in the refrigerator section of most Asian stores and larger supermarkets.  I usually buy a couple of packs of fresh noodles and throw them into the freezer.

The Asian PantryRight next to the catsup, mustard, and mayo…their Asian counterparts!

From left to right:  Sake (Japanese rice wine), Mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine), Bean Sauce by Koon Chun (salty bean paste), Chili Garlic Sauce (like Siracha, similar in heat with garlic added), Sesame oil by Kadoya (used in Korean, Japanese and Chinese dishes), Chinese Rice wine (Michu), Vietnamese Fish Sauce by Three Crabs (pink label in back), Hoisin Sauce by Koon Chun (Chinese all-purpose bbq sauce), Premium Soy Sauce by Lee Kum Kee (all-purpose soy sauce), Oyster Sauce also by Lee Kum Kee (our go-to brand look for the label with the boy and woman in a boat).  Some of the bottles are almost empty which means I will be going to my favorite Asian market soon, call me if you want to come along for an Asian Sauce Primer!

3/17/21 Update:  I make this so often for a quick meal, like today!  I sauteed shredded cabbage and a trio of mushrooms from Mycopia, and added a nice dollop of chili crisp oil, good to go.  Use a vegetarian oyster sauce and voila’ veggie-friendly meal!

Ginger and Scallion Noodles

A quick and easy dish. Stir fry noodles in oil infused with ginger, scallions and garlic-delicious!
Course One dish meals
Cuisine Asian
Keyword garlic, ginger, noodles, scallions
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh Asian egg noodles thin and flat like fettuccine
  • Fresh ginger 6 thin slices, crushed to release its flavor
  • 3 scallions or green onions cut into 1 inch sections and crushed to release flavor
  • 2 cloves of garlic smashed but intact
  • 3 T vegetable or peanut oil
  • Sauce:
  • 3 T premium soy sauce
  • 3 T oyster sauce
  • 1.5 T rice wine
  • 1.5 t sesame oil
  • 1 t sugar
  • 2-3 T chicken stock or water
  • salt and white pepper

Options

  • 1/2 cup corn
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms that have been soaked in warm water until soft sliced, if you don't have fresh
  • 1/4 cup black fungus soaked in warm water, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 head shredded green cabbage sauteed before adding noodles to ginger scsllion oil
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms ie. enoki, maitake, nameko, or shiitake really, any mushroom you like

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot of water and cook noodles as directed. Do not overcook as you will be stir frying them to finish the dish! Fresh noodles will only take a couple of minutes at best. Remove from pot and drain thoroughly.
  • Combine ingredients for sauce in a bowl and set aside. You can add a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce, 1-2 tsp dissolved in stock or water then added to sauce ingredients.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a deep sided pan or wok until very hot, you should see wisps of smoke from the oil. Add ginger and garlic to pan and stir fry for approximately 1-2 minutes until garlic begins to brown. Add scallions or green onions, mushrooms or black fungus, stir fry for another minute.
  • Add noodles to pan, stir fry over medium high heat. Mix thoroughly to make sure the noodles are coated with the flavored oil, 1-2 minutes. Add any optional ingredients at this point.
  • Add sauce to noodles and stir fry 2-3 minutes to combine ingredients and reduce the sauce.
  • Garnish with green onions and cilantro if desired.
  • I left the ginger and green onions in big pieces as my kids didn't like them, made it easy to pick it out.
  • You could add leftover chicken or beef to make this a more substantial dish or even shrimp.
  • Once again, kids and corn...the corn added a bit of sweetness to the dish and crunch, always a good thing!